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Topic: Pot, Meet the Kettle (Read 8909 times)

The whole thing put me off about her giving advice to anyone is how she has so little respect for herself. Justin is a train wreck, too, don't get me wrong.

OK, some of you have argued that she is doing all of this stuff in her career - but riding a wrecking ball nude in a video, and that whole twerking thing was just... so sad. So go ahead, Justin, and party at home, but running around naked and simulating sex in public is OK because it's her *career*?

Nobody's saying whether it's "OK" or not--we're talking about whether she's following her own advice about staying out of legal trouble. Lots of artists have built careers on being "shocking." I don't remember Madonna getting arrested either, and I don't think her actual life was ever as weird as her videos or stage shows. If these things are "not OK" by your personal moral compass, that's fine, but it's separate from any legal issues, and it also isn't risking bodily harm to anyone else in the way that drunk driving does. It's theater.

The stuff she does is sad (I can't stand her), but she's only hurting herself and her own career. Can't say the same for him with his destroying other people's property, driving drunk, and peeing in a restrauant(?) bucket, etc.

Didn't she state that one of her most popular songs is about using ecstasy? And isn't that illegal? As far as the advice to build a club and party at home, it would keep him off the street, but maybe "Stop acting like a spoiled, out of control brat" is better advice.

Using ecstasy is illegal, but as far as I know, there's no law against singing about illegal activities. Unless there's evidence of her actually using drugs herself or committing other crimes, rather than just singing about them, then I don't see any hypocrisy in her statement that "I'm doing a lot of [bleep], but I'm not doing anything illegal" or in suggesting that Bieber should do the same. Bieber doesn't seem to be listening to any normal, law-abiding adults about his behavior, so maybe another wild young celebrity pointing this out is exactly what he needs.

Also, this was not clear from the text, but Leno was the one who asked if she had advice for Bieber in the video. This wasn't an unprompted statement from Cyrus, as if she thought she was some great authority on behavior. It was an answer to a direct question.

No, I mean the song is about the fun she's had while on it, not just about it in general (isn't the line something like "We party with Molly"?). I actually don't have a problem with her. She's not to my taste but she's an adult so live and let live. That said, I don't think it makes much sense to admit to the fun you've had while high and then tell someone else to keep it legal. But hey, I could be mistaken about the drug thing. I don't really follow her so all I've got to go on are headlines.

Miley Cyrus performs in various stages of undress, shakes her bum and sticks her tongue out.

You don't have to like or agree with Miley's career, but it's insulting to compare the two.

Agreed. Miley was asked to give her advice. As an entertainer, she is winning, whether you like her or not. She isn't a criminal; she isn't disrespectful to the public in her personal life; I've never seen her mug shot. You may not like her style, but it isn't accidental. And as far as singing about drugs goes.....um, so does a lot of music going back decades, from a lot if respected musicians.

Miley Cyrus performs in various stages of undress, shakes her bum and sticks her tongue out.

You don't have to like or agree with Miley's career, but it's insulting to compare the two.

Agreed. Miley was asked to give her advice. As an entertainer, she is winning, whether you like her or not. She isn't a criminal; she isn't disrespectful to the public in her personal life; I've never seen her mug shot. You may not like her style, but it isn't accidental. And as far as singing about drugs goes.....um, so does a lot of music going back decades, from a lot if respected musicians.

Yep, lots of my favorite songs, by lots of my favorite bands. As far as I know they haven't publicly advised other musicians not to do anything illegal. If they did I'd roll my eyes at them, too. Then again maybe her intent was along the lines of "Don't do anything illegal in public." which would make sense along with the bit about building a club within your own home.

This. I shudder to think what I would have done with unlimited financial resources at 19.

And most of what Miley does annoys/disgusts/doesn't impress me, but...she's "crazy" like a fox. She knows exactly what she's doing and she's producing exactly the results she wants.

Exactly. I personally loathe what Miley is doing but it's all part of a deliberate career move and being the next Madonna.

Hypocrisy would be Lindsay Lohan criticizing bieber. Both are child star train wrecks who engage in illegal and dangerous activity with no regard for anybody else around them.

Miley was not rude to answer a direct question in the way she did. I dislike her, but she makes a good point about why his peeps aren't holding him back more. I imagine she has a lot of experience with minders protecting her from public bad behavior (apart from the deliberate stuff), so she knows what she's talking about. I read it as more like "Dude hide your stash!!" Not "Tsk tsk don't do drugs".

This. I shudder to think what I would have done with unlimited financial resources at 19.

And most of what Miley does annoys/disgusts/doesn't impress me, but...she's "crazy" like a fox. She knows exactly what she's doing and she's producing exactly the results she wants.

Exactly. I personally loathe what Miley is doing but it's all part of a deliberate career move and being the next Madonna.

She sure isn't positioning herself to be the next Annette Funicello! Another Disney alumni..from the fifties & sixties...of Mickey Mouse Club & beach movie fame....who did have her career cut short by illness. I remember her commercials for Florida orange juice & appearances for the medical research association that was researching the disease that she succumbed to - MS, I think it was.

Didn't she state that one of her most popular songs is about using ecstasy? And isn't that illegal? As far as the advice to build a club and party at home, it would keep him off the street, but maybe "Stop acting like a spoiled, out of control brat" is better advice.

Using ecstasy is illegal, but as far as I know, there's no law against singing about illegal activities. Unless there's evidence of her actually using drugs herself or committing other crimes, rather than just singing about them, then I don't see any hypocrisy in her statement that "I'm doing a lot of [bleep], but I'm not doing anything illegal" or in suggesting that Bieber should do the same. Bieber doesn't seem to be listening to any normal, law-abiding adults about his behavior, so maybe another wild young celebrity pointing this out is exactly what he needs.

Also, this was not clear from the text, but Leno was the one who asked if she had advice for Bieber in the video. This wasn't an unprompted statement from Cyrus, as if she thought she was some great authority on behavior. It was an answer to a direct question.

No, I mean the song is about the fun she's had while on it, not just about it in general (isn't the line something like "We party with Molly"?). I actually don't have a problem with her. She's not to my taste but she's an adult so live and let live. That said, I don't think it makes much sense to admit to the fun you've had while high and then tell someone else to keep it legal. But hey, I could be mistaken about the drug thing. I don't really follow her so all I've got to go on are headlines.

Were you interpreting the song as an admission of drug use, making her statements hypocritical? Or are you saying it's hypocritical to make money off the image of drug use (by including it in her songs, regardless of whether she's done drugs herself), while telling another artist he shouldn't do anything illegal?

If the former: I'm not familiar with the song itself, but I guess I just generally view songs as fiction. I don't assume what is described actually represents the singer's (or songwriter's) own life in any way, unless there's clear evidence otherwise. For me, writing/singing in the first person is a stylistic choice, not a indication that the singer/songwriter actually experienced what is described. I assume that a lot of songwriters, like authors, write what they think will be interesting or popular among their fans, or what will support their "image," not necessarily having anything to do with their own experiences. So for me, a reference to "partying with Molly" just indicates that she thinks her fans will like that. Unless there was outside evidence that she does drugs herself or it was a detailed description of the drug's effects, I wouldn't take it as a strong indication that she actually does drugs.

If the latter: I can see how it's a bit hypocritical to profit off of songs about drug use, but tell someone not to do anything illegal. OTOH, I think a message along the lines of "Dude. It's fake. It's a show. Just because the fanbase likes 'bad-boy' or 'bad-girl' personas doesn't mean you should actually risk your life or risk getting thrown in jail" is a pretty appropriate message, for Bieber and for their fans.

I'm not familiar enough with her or the song to make much of a distinction either way. All I know is that there was a question as to whether she sings **"dancing with Miley" or "dancing with Molly". Someone authorized to speak on her behalf (a manager? PR person?) said it's "Miley" but she came out and said no, she says Molly, and she means the drug. I have no idea whether or not she's actually done the drug or just wanted to mention doing it in her song for some reason. I think it's funny that someone who made a point of using drug references in their songs would advise someone else not to do anything illegal.

**I just looked up the lyrics and she says "We like to party/ Dancing with Molly"